my only one (COMPLETED)

chapter 40

Chapter 40:

 ----Zack’s point of view-------

I shivered as I sat shirtless on the step in the back garden of my new home. Well, it wasn’t really my new home anymore. I’d been living here for roughly 5 years. But everyday it still felt like a new place. Everything was different.

I entered a college. I didn’t really choose which one was best for my education, just the one closest to my house. I’d been going there for a few years now. I hadn’t really made any friends, because of my confusing and unfortunate past, I kept myself to myself.

But there was this one guy who I seemed to take a shine to. He was a funny bloke, but real kind and helped me settle in when I first came here. He lived down the road from me too. His name was Rian Dawson.

Every morning he’d give me a ride to college and he was respectful when it came to me not wanting to bring up the past. But yesterday the past triggered as I looked at my old messages on my phone. There were loads from Hanley, from when we first met to when I first found out about her and Alex.

I remember reading through them and my eyes started to water, Rian was with me at the time. He tried to comfort me, I suppose, he was a really nice friend, unlike some people. And I think I could definitely trust him. He said things would be easier if I just let them out.

The wind hit me and I shivered again. I sighed and walked back inside, and began to dial Rian’s number into my phone. It rang for a few short seconds before he answered in a cheerful tone, which seemed to be his normal tone really.

‘Hello?’ ‘Hey Rian, wanna hang out at my place or something?’ I mumbled. ‘Oh, sure, I’ll be right over!’ by the way he replied I could tell he knew I wasn’t in a very happy mood, and he knew that I wanted to get this all off my chest. ‘Cool, cya’ I said with a slightly brighter attitude, it was hard not to be too miserable around him and his positivity. ‘Bye!’ and with that he hung up.

Seeing as he only lived down the road, Rian arrived a few minutes later. I welcomed him in, got us some drinks and we sat down in the living room. ‘So, what’s up?’ he said sipping his can of Carlsberg.

‘Well, it’s that Hanley girl, who I was reading my text’s from, yesterday’ I said avoiding awkward eye contact and trying to hold my tears back, as I remembered the times I’d walk and talk with her and her sweet smile would melt my heart. Then all the time’s I’d been with her and she’d secretly been pregnant with another man, it broke me on the inside.

‘Zack, are you okay?’ Rian interrupted my thoughts. ‘Yeah, uhm’ I sniffed and wiped my watering eyes and continued. ‘So, she was this girl. Who I loved, well… love, but she slept with another guy. Who just happened to get her pregnant. And as far as I can guess, the baby will around, 4 or 5 years old now? I don’t know if she’s with him or still thinks about me. It’s just so upsetting and impossible to forget’

Once I started I couldn’t stop, and I ended up just pouring my heart out about how first Hanley had nearly cheated on me with Jack. I guess it hurt more the slightest bit because Jack was actually my friend unlike Alex who I’d only just met.

‘God, that’s awful!’ he seemed lost for words. ‘I know’ I whimpered. ‘Dude, this Hanley girl, seems like a bit of a whore, no offense’ he added quickly. ‘You’re wrong, she was just, caught up in the moment’ I snapped. ‘I guess’ he whispered realizing he’d hurt me.

‘I’m sorry, maybe I was being a bit judgemental’ ‘No, its okay, I can totally see were you’re coming from. I made her sound like a whore; it’s not your fault’ I smiled and he smiled back.

‘So, this Jack guy, you still keep in touch with him? I mean it’s that other guy who got her pregnant right?’ I sighed ‘No, I don’t wanna be in touch with anyone from my past anymore, and yeah I guess you’re right, it’s Alex I’m mostly mad at’ I winced at his name as a image of him and Hanley together flashed in my mind.

‘Oh, Alex, sorry you never mentioned his name before’ ‘I didn’t? Oh well yeah his name’s Alex, Alex Gaskarth I think.’ I said putting my head in my hands trying to forget about him. ‘Wait, Gaskarth?’ Rian spoke, I didn’t like were this was going. ‘Yeah, why?’ I asked in hope he wasn’t going to reply with an answer like ‘I know him!’ which is exactly what he said.

‘Oh, you’re friends?’ I tried to stay calm, but I felt my blood boiling. ‘Yeah, I’ve known him for ages now, we still keep in contact.’ He smiled but it dropped when he noticed the anger in my eyes. ‘Zack? I’m sorry, if I had known I wouldn’t of…‘ ‘No’ I interrupted. ‘It’s okay, if you’re his friend then you’re his friend, doesn’t bother me’ I was lying through my teeth about it, but it’s not like I could stop them being friends.

-----Rian’s point of view-----

‘Are you okay?’ I asked leisurely. ‘Yeah, I’ll be fine’ Zack was looking into the distance, taking large mouthfuls from the Carlsberg can. So, it was clear he wasn’t okay. ‘I think I’ll just take off then okay?’ I said finished the last drain of my drink and standing up. ‘Sure’ he said, still avoiding looking at me a tear strolled down his face. I wanted to say something, but what could I say? ‘Call me later man’ I said before closing the front door behind me.

I dawdled home, taking my time so I had a while to think. What was I supposed to do? Let Zack get over it? Stop speaking to Alex? I sighed in loss for ideas. My phone buzzed and I reached for it from my pocket.

It was a text from Zack

[Hey, we’re cool right?]

I smiled knowing he still wanted to be my friend.

[Yeah, of course (:] I replied and continued thinking about what to do.

Then it hit me. It was a long shot, and a very risky idea but it might just work. If I know Alex, he’d be up for it. I pulled out my phone and pressed dial on Alex’s number.

‘Hello?’ Alex answered. He sounded tired and kind of stressed; I heard a child throwing a tantrum in the background, all the baby noises I’d heard in previous phone calls suddenly made sense. ‘Hey Alex, there’s something I need to talk to you about’ I spoke in a serious tone, hoping Alex would reply the same way.

‘Can it wait? I’m... busy’ he replied. I didn’t understand why Alex hadn’t already told me about Hanley and the baby, he was obviously trying to keep it from me. ‘Well, when are you free?’ ‘Uhm, soon, I’ll call you later okay?’ ‘Okay’ ‘One second maxie!’ I heard him shout in the background, I smiled as I realized the baby’s name was max. Cute, I thought. ‘Alright, later!’ he said hanging up quickly.

I got back home and watched TV for a few hours. Well, the TV was on, but I was thinking about how I’m gunna explain to Alex that I knew about Hanley and how Zack was actually my friend. During this time my phone rang and saw Alex’s name appear on the screen. ‘Hey’ I listened out for noises in the background, there were none? ‘Hey, I’ll come round to yours in a few minutes okay?’ it sounded like he was in the car already. ‘Sure, cya’ I hung up and prepared my words.

Ding-Dong! The doorbell rang and I answered to see Alex. He’d changed since the last time I saw him. ‘Hi’ he smiled and made his way in. ‘So, how’ve you been?’ he got himself comfortable in the living room like he owned the place; I used to do the same at his house back when we were closer.

‘Pretty good, but I have to tell you something’ I put my head down and breathed for a few seconds, this wasn’t going to be easy. ‘Rian, what’s up?’ I looked up, a serious expression spread across his face. ‘Uhm, well, I know about Hanley, and Max and everything’ he shot back in his seat; his serious expression had changed quickly into a shocked and rather worried expression. ‘What how?’ he spoke eagerly. ‘Zack told me’